UWSP vs. UWP Box Score

UWSP vs. UWW Box Score

WHITEWATER- The UW-Stevens Point baseball team cruised through the first two rounds of the WIAC Tournament belting 37 hits in the two games Friday afternoon in Whitewater to advance to the championship game. The Pointers took game one 17-6 in seven innings against UW-Platteville and followed that up with a 15-7 victory against number one seeded UW-Whitewater.

The first game of the WIAC Tournament featured the Pointers taking on the Pioneers of UW-Platteville. Platteville was able to put a mark on the scoreboard first, touching Pointer starter Eric Van Beck for three runs. Derrick Rice drove in the first run on a single up the middle and a bases loaded hit by pitch followed up by a walk to the next batter gave the Pioneers a 3-0 lead early.

The Pointers were able to answer back in the bottom of the fourth, scoring four runs on five hits. Josh Krueger (Portage/Portage) started the scoring on a run-scoring single and a batter later Kevin Thomas (Oshkosh/Oshkosh West) grounded out to first, scoring Sam Spurney (Manitowoc/Manitowoc Lincoln). Dan Douglas (East Troy, WI/East Troy) stepped into the box next and scorched a double to left field, platting two beginning his huge day for the Pointers centerfielder.

Joe Nartowicz was able to bring the game back to even in the top half of the fifth when he singled up the middle, scoring Aaron Hopson.

Point did not wait long to reclaim the lead, following up their four run fourth with a six run fifth inning. After a groundout and a fly out the Pointers strung together six consecutive hits and were also aided by an error from the Pioneers. Douglas platted the first run on a hit by pitch and Brad Archambeau (Watertown/Watertown) cleared the bases on a double to right-center field, scoring three runs. Justin Jirschele (Clintonville, WI/Clintonville) and Jeremy Richter (Rosholt/Rosholt) added the fifth and sixth runs of the inning on RBI singles to put Point in front 10-4.

Levi Ney stole a run back in the bottom half of the inning for Platteville on a sacrifice fly to cut the lead to 10-5 Point.

Stevens Point was then able to break the game wide open the following inning, pushing across seven runs, putting the game out of reach. Thomas drove a single up the middle which platted Krueger and Douglas drove him on a double, bringing his RBI total to four in the game.

Archambeau wasted no time driving Douglas in as he tripled to center field and two batters later crossed the plate on a single by Jirschele. Eric Fritz (Custer/SPASH) was able to cross the plate on a sacrifice fly by Sam Spurney (Manitowoc/Manitowoc Lincoln) off new Pioneers arm Colton Laird.

Jordan Rennicke (Mequon/Homestead) contributed to the scoring as he pulled a single down the right field line and Thomas plated his second run on the inning on a bases loaded walk, vaulting the Pointers in front by a score of 17-5.

Jason Jacobson plated a Pioneer run in the bottom of the seventh on a double, however, it was not enough to avoid the 10-run mercy rule with Point cruising to a 17-6 victory.

Van Beck (3-2) picked up the victory for the Pointers as he went six innings, allowing five runs, all earned, on six hits while walking six batters. Will Osmanski (7-3) suffered the loss as he was touched up for 10 runs, four earned, in 4.2 innings of work.

Rennicke led the Pointers with four hits while Krueger added three. Archambeau, Jirschele, Richter and Douglas also contributed with two hits apiece. Archambeau and Douglas each drove in four runs in game one while Thomas drove in three of his own.

Jason Jacobson was the leading hitter for Platteville as he had two of the seven Pioneer hits.

With the Pointers victory, they moved on to face the WIAC regular season champion UW-Whitewater Warhawks in the second game of the tournament.

Whitewater was able to jump on the Pointers early, capitalizing on an error by Jared Surman (Kimberly/Kimberly). Ben Kuhlmann singled down the left-field line scoring Jeff Donovan and Warhawks shortstop Mike Kenseth drove home three as he belted a home run to right field to put Whitewater up 4-0.

Krueger got one run back in the top half of the second as he drove a Riley Tincher offering over the right-center field fence for his seventh home run of the season.
The Warhawks responded in their half of the second when Donavan singled down the right field line, scoring Jordan Stine.

The Pointers once again answered back in the next innings, this time scoring four runs to even the game at 5-5. Fritz led the inning off with a double and Jirschele drove him on a single through the right side of the infield. Krueger continued his big day when he doubled to right-center field to plate Jirschele. Steve Considine (Portage/Portage) followed up two batters later with a two out double to left-center to bring home two Pointers.

Both teams were held scoreless until the Pointers tacked on four more runs in the sixth inning on four hits. Steve Considine (Portage/Portage) led off the inning with his first home run of the season but Point did not stop there.

Jirschele plated one with a groundout to second to put Point up by two runs. Kyle Lee then relieved Tincher and walked the first batter he faced to load the bases. Spurney was then hit by the next pitch, scoring one and Krueger drove in another un on a single to right field, giving Stevens Point a 9-5 lead.

Point was able to buy themselves some more breathing room in the ninth as they increased their lead to 15-5. With two outs in the inning, Travis Tuschen (Sun Prairie/Sun Prairie) doubled to left-center to plate the first run and Archambeau beat out and infield single to plate the second. Jirschele added two more on a double and Richter capped off the inning with a home run, his ninth of the season, tying the previous seasons mark.

The Warhawks were able to touch up Scott Williams (Baraboo/Baraboo) for two runs in the bottom of the ninth, but could not plate anymore leaving the Pointers victorious by a score of 15-7.

Joel Delorit (Sturgeon Bay/Southern Door) (7-3) once again pitched excellent as he allowed five runs, one earned in seven innings of work. The Pointers were able to hand Tinscher (11-1) his first loss of the season, tagging him for nine runs, all earned, on 11 hits in 5.1 innings.

Fritz led the Pointers with four hits including a double. Archambeau and Krueger added three hits each and Jirschele, Richter, Considine and Tuschen each helped with two. Krueger and Richter also added home runs and Jirschele lead the team with four RBIs.

Kuhlmann and Nick Rechlitz led the Warhawks with three hits while Stine and Kenseth added two.

Senior Josh Krueger (Portage/Portage) was an offensive superstar in the two games Friday afternoon. He finished the day six-for-ten with five runs scored, four RBIs, two doubles and a home run in just his 10th start of the season. In the game against UW-Whitewater, he was a triple away from the cycle.

The Pointers belted out 19 hits in the first contest against UW-Platteville and followed it up with a 18 hit performance against UW-Whitewater, bringing their total to 37 for the two games.

UW-Stevens Point (29-13) will try to reach the 30-win mark for the fifth time in six years tomorrow as they take on the winner of UW-Platteville and UW-Whitewater. The Pointers will also have to opportunity to capture their fifth consecutive WIAC Tournament title with one victory tomorrow afternoon. Game time for the tournament championship is set for Noon in Whitewater.

Should the Pointers falter in game one, they will have another chance at winning the automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament thanks to the double elimination format of the tournament.